Shell construction



A. E. NISSEN SHELL CONSTRUCTION May 5, 1931.

Filed Feb. 6, 1930 I N VEN T OR ATTORNEYS ARV/D E. /V/ SSEN l atentecl May 5, 1931 ARVID is; ivissniv; or UPPER DARBY, PENNSYLVANIA Q SH 'ILL oonsm'aectroir Application filed February 6, 1930. Serial No. 426,390;

(G'RANTEiiUNDER rim ACT or MARCH 3,1883, AS AMENDED APRIL so, 1928'; 370 o: e: 757) This invention described herein may .be manufactured and used by or for the Government for Government purposes, without.

the payment to meof any royalty thereon;

' This inventionrelates-in general to proj ectiles-and more particularly has reference to: ed.

ac'oi'istnuction of a shell for firing I from rifi muzzle: loading mortars.

Previous to'this time shells for firingvfrom 1'6 weapons: of this character have been pro vided with an 'expansible band for engagiiig' the riflin'g on firing ofthe propellant charge.- It will be appreciated that-it is necessary to employ an'expansible band, inasis much as a" rifle band necessarily being of greater diameter than the' projectile to which it is attaehed, cannot be conveniently loads 1 iii a niuzzl'e loading weapon,

Ane'ssentia'l featureof the construction is tli'e prevention of relative rotation between a plej ect'ile and the band attached thereto, as otherwise the desired rotation of the shell Y would not" result. In the past, expansible bands have; been positively fastened to the base, yby screws. 7

Whilethis fastening arangement is sufficient as regards preventing relative rotation, it is' attended by the disadvantage of materially adding to the cost of shell construetioman'd'tends to weaken'the structure there of, inasmuch as it is required to drill and tap the shell ba'se'and drill the band for the insertmnderreserews. objector this invention is -to providea roje'c't-ile havingan expansible'band loosely fitteu th'ereon, adapted to become attache theretoon firing; 7 Another object of thisinvention-isto pro vide a projectile having an expansible band lboselyfitted thereon, adapted to become attacked-thereto on firing by reason of engag ingp'ortions formedonthe base of thepro jectile." r

1 Another object of this invention isto-prov id a projectile having an expansible band" loosely fitted thereon,- adapted to becomeattanned thereto on firing by reason of engaging portions formed on thebase of aban'd ad j acent the projectile.

- StillfiliOtllBT-ObjBCt of this inventionis to provide .a projectile having an expansiblefl the base ofuthe projectile and the, adjacent faceof theband. 1 1 A further obj ectof this'invention' is top'rovide a projectile having an-expansible-band: V

loosely fitted thereon, adapted'to'become attached thereto on firing by reason of engaging portions formed on the face of the band adjacent the base of'the projectile, Which-latter is formed of soft metal. j

With these and other objects in view which may be incident to my-impr'ovements, the invention consists in the parts and combinations to be hereinafter set forth and claimed-,-v with vthe understanding that the several necessary elements comprising, my invention, may be varied in construction, proportions and arrangement, Without. departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

In order to make my invention-inore.clear-, lyunderstood I have shown in the-acco'm panying drawings means for carrying. the same into: practical efi'ect', without limiting the improvements: in their useful applications-'to=the particular constructions, which for the-purpose of explanation, have been made thesubject ofillustration.

In the drawings forming a part of the specification, Figure 1 is longitudinal sec-.- tional' view of the base of a projectile form-: ing the subject matter of this invention showing the knurled base.

a projectile also showing the knurlin'g.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of-the projectileshown-with the expansible band fittedon the basethereof against-the knurling. I i v Figure 4 is a plan view looking tow i fds the base of a modified form of cupped disc. Referring more particularlyby numerals" to thedrawings wherein similar elements are designated by like; symbols of reference throughout, and more especially to Figure l, there isfshown a rearof a projectile-'1 having. side walls" 2' integrally formed with a base portion 3; A reduced threaded eXten- Figure Q is'a bottom view oflthe-base'of- I sion 4 is centrally formed on the rear of the base portion adapted to receive a cartridge container 5, as shown in Figure 3.

The foregoing description is applicable to the type of shell now employed in rifled muzzle loading mortars. In accordance with my invention, however, I machine or otherwise form an annular rim 6 concentric with the base of a projectile and of the same diameter, being flush with the integral side walls 2. The surface of the rim 6 is knurled, as shown in Figure 2, or otherwise provided with a surface capable of engagmg in soft metal.

An expansible cupped disc 7 is adapted to be fitted against the knurled portion 6 on the base of the projectile and held on the extension 4. The expansible cupped disc, as shown in Figure 3, is of a character heretofore employed, consisting essentially of a cupped annular plate having central apertures for receiving the extension 4 on the base of the projectile. One face of the plate is provided with a concentric annular groove 10 adja 7 cent the edge which is bent outward at this point as at 8, and extends downwardly, flush with the peripheryof the shell body.

The inner edge. of the downwardly bent portion 8 is tapered torseat the edge of a pressure plate 9 formed with angularly extending edges 11 and 12, the edge 11 resting on the tapered portion of the downwardly turned edge 8 of the'expansible cupped disc and the edge 12 being tapered at the end to rest on the inner edge of the cupped disc which is bent downwardly as at 13.

A cartridge container 5 internally threaded at oneend is adapted to be inserted in the apertures provided in the pressure plate and an expansible cupped disc, and screwed on the extension 4:. The end of the containor 5 internally threaded, is reduced in .diameter at the end to provide a shoulder 14 adapted to fit against the inner edge 12 of the pressure plate, and holds the plate and cupped disc against the base of the projectile.

The cartridge container is provided in addition with a series of apertures 15affording an outlet to'the gas generated by ignition of the cartridge contained therein, not shown, adapted to fire the propellant charges contained in the powder disc, not shown, adapted to be carried on the outside of the con-'- tainer 5.

While the shoulder 14 on the container 5 is adapted to hold the cupped disc 7 in place by engagement with the pressure plate 9, it will be appreciated that the fastener is. not sufficient to prevent relative rotation of the band and the projectile, in the absence of positive fastening means therebetween, which have been previously employed, screws having been used as hereinbefore explained.

In accordance with my invention the knurled surface 6 formed'on the base of the projectile is adapted to be positively engaged may be varied in amount of depth or width,

or any suitable provision for the engagement by the band, substituted therefor.

The base of the projectile may be constructed of soft metal and the adjacent face of the cupped disc provided with a knurled surface adapted to engage the same, as disclosed by the cupped disc 7 shown in Figure 1. This disc, as. may be observed, is provided with knurled portions 16 adapted to seat upon the base of the projectile. It will thus be seen that either or both the base of the pro-,

jectile and adjacent face of the disc may be knurled and such constructions employed with. advantage when practicing my invention.

The operation of the invention may readily be understood with reference to Figure 3, wherein onfiring, the force exerted by the propelling charge will drive the pressure plate 9 forward, causing it to straighten and expand, and driving the edge 8 of the cupped disc outward into the riding, which bending is facilitated by reason of the groove 10 providing a weakened portion to facilitate bending. Concomitant-1y with the expansion of the edge of the cupped disc into the rifling, the disc is driven forward into the knurled portion formed on the base of the projectile,

where the same is positively engaged therebetween, and relative rotation between the band .and the projectile thus prevented.

There is accomplished by thisinvention, a projectile construction having shells adapted to be fired from rifled muzzle loading mortars wherein relative rotation between the driving disc and the projectile is positively prevented, and the use of fastening means heretofore required dispensed with ,thus providing .a shell which is of stronger construction and which may be more, rapidly and economically manufactured than the projectiles heretofore used.

IVhile I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, I wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself to the precise details of construction herein set forth, by way of illustration, as it is apparent that many changes and variations may be made therein, by those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit of the invention, or exceeding the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A projectile for firing in a rifled barrel comprising a body portion, and a disc loosely carried thereon, and means associated with the disc to attach the same to the body portion so .as to prevent its relative rotation with respect thereto on the firing of the projectile.

2. A projectile for firing in a rifled barrel comprising a body portion, an expansilole disc loosely carried on the rear thereof, and means formed thereon adapted to cooperate with means formed on the body portion to attach the disc to the latter so as to prevent its relative rotation with respect to the body portion on firing of the projectile.

3. A projectile for firing in a rifled barrel comprising body portion, an expansible disc carried on the rear thereof, and means formed thereon adapted to cooperate with corresponding means formed on the adjacent face of the body portion to attach the disc thereto so as to cause it to rotate therewith on firing of the projectile.

4. A projectile for firing in a rifled barrel comprising a body portion, an extension of reduced diameter associated with the base of the body portion containing a propellant charge, an expansible cupped disc loosely carried on the extension adjacent the base of the body portion and forward of the propellant charge, and a knurled portion integrally formed with the base of the body portion to engage the adjacent face of the cupped disc and attach the same thereto so as to prevent the relative rotation of the cupped disc with respect to the body portion on the firing of the projectile. V

5. A projectile for firing in a rifled barrel comprising a body portion, an extension of reduced diameter associated with the base of the body portion containing a propellant charge, an expansible cupped disc loosely carried 0n the extension adjacent the base of the body portion and forward of the propellant charge, and corresponding knurled portions formed on the base of the body porloosely carried thereon, an expa-nsible plate positioned upon said disc, and meansassociated with the disc to attach the same to the body portion so as to prevent its relative rotation with respect thereto, on the firing of the projectile. Y

c 7. A projectile for firing in a rifled barrel comprising a body portion, acupped disc loosely carried thereon, anexpansible plate I positioned upon said disc and means associated with the plate for expanding the same and engaging the disc with the rifling' and for fixing the disc to the body portion so as to cause it to rotate therewith upon the firing of the projectile.

8. A projectile for firing in a rifled barrel comprising a body portion, an extension of reduced diameter associated with the base of the body portion containing a. propellant charge, an expansible cupped disc loosely carried on the extension adjacent the band of the body portion and forward of the propellant charge, an expansible plate positioned upon the cupped disc, said extension engaging said plate, a knurled portion formed on the base of the body portion and adjacent the face of the cupped disc adapted to engage and fix the disc to the base of the body portion on the firing of the projectile.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

. ARVID E. NISSEN. 

